A Slice of Turtle Island

March 17, 2017

On Pádraig’s day…a reminder that every day here in today’s Manitoba is the day of Manitou. On our eastern shores this great spirit is known as Glooscap. Both names assigned to the spiritual, fundamental creator of our existence.

One of the branches of my family tree came from Cork/Waterford, Ireland in the 1700s to land on what was Île Saint Jean – now known as Prince Edward Island.

The Irish and Scots and French and amerindien went about their lives on the pastel colored island. And they made beautiful music in their own time.

But the land of red soil, gentle landscapes and endless shores was first and foremost the land of the Mi’kmaq. The real name of the island is Epekwitk (or Abegweit) which translates to ‘cradled on the waves’.

This is the true land of our birth.

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Islander, Lennie Gallant created a musical detailing the existence we have experienced on this part of mother earth created by Glooscap.

It is said that she dipped her fingers into all the most beautiful colours known and painted Epekwitk/Abegweit into reality.